Flaming lighter



Teb. 13, 1934.

yD. A. RICHARDS FLAMING LIGHTER Filed nec. 2e, 1933 'unisa Q.

AoREY Patented Feb. 13, 192.4"l

UNITED `sfnir|isl PATENT OFFICE FLAMING LIGHTER Application December 28,1933 SerialNo. 703,913

8 Claims.

This invention relates to flaming lighters employing a catalyst, and myimprovements are directed to an apparatus adapted to contain a supply ofvaporizable fuel and which is provided with means for supporting thecatalyst in a fixed position therein, said catalyst being protectedagainst the attack of vapor from the fuel when the apparatus is closed;also the apparatus containing capillary means for conveying fuel to the.

of the casing, where it is held in place by a cylinder of wire mesh,which surrounds and is spaced from the catalyst, said catalyst beingmounted on a support that extends up from the partition.

Thus, the casing upper portion being open to the atmosphere, vapor fromthe :fuel entrained by the absorbent sleeve reacts upon the catalyst torender it incandenscent and thus ignite the vapor, producing a llamethat persists while the casing is open.

A cover is provided to fit over the casing and close it, said covercarrying an inner closure slee've or thimble that Aencloses thecatalyst, to shut off the absorbent sleeve .therefrom and thus protectthe catalyst from the deleterious effects of the fuel vapor while thelighter is out of service.

Also the partition has upon its upper surface a gasket of yieldingmaterial with which the closure'sleeve makes embedding contact andcreates a peripheral bulging effect upon the gasket, causing said gasketto press upon the absorbent sleeve, thereby retarding the entrainment offuel while the lighter is closed.

The cover is provided with an air hole for the escape of any vapor thatmay be trapped when closing the lighter.

Also means are provided whereby fuel may be forcedI from the supplyupwardly through the absrbent sleeve, and whereby air too may beprojected toward the combustion zone.

Other features and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawingz- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation oi my improvedflaming lighter, with the cover applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1, partly broken away, with the coverremoved.

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, of the cover, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a modified' form of the lighter,wherein the fuel is contained in the casing without the use of absorbentmaterial.

In Figs. 1 to 4 let 1 indicate a casing, here shown as tubular in formand lined interiorly of its Wall with a sleeve 2 composed of absorbentmaterial which may extend throughout the length of the casing. Saidcasing is divided into lower and upperportions by means of a partition3, which rests upon protuberances 4 indented in the wall of the` casing,said partition being here represented in the form of a disk whoseperipheral edge, when the lighter is in service, bears lightly againstthe sleeve 2, and of course being seated 1| on those portions of saidsleeve which cover protuber'ances 4. Above partition 3 the sleeve 2 isheld in place against the casing wall by a cylindrical web of wire meshX that fits closely against said sleeve.

'Ihe partition 3 is shown as having a central, upward projection 5,which serves as engaging means for a coil 6 forming the base of a wireframe or standard 7, that has a laterally projecting arm 8 ffrom whichsome fine platinum'sa strands depend in the form of loops 9, saidstrands carrying a blob orA pill 10 composed of platinum black or likecatalytic material. Placed upon the upper surface of partition 3 is agasket 11 that has a cushion-like consistency, .0 being composed ofrubber or the like, whose peripheral edge lies against the sleeve 2.

The casing, below partition 3, contains absorbent material l2, which isto be saturated with vaporizable fuel, such for example as methanol, andsaid casing is provided with an opening 13 in its .base 14, throughwhich opening fuel may be introduced. A screw cap 15 is adapted to closethe lower end of the casing, and said cap may contain a gasket 16 sothat a leak-tight joint may be 10o effected.

` A cover, 17, to close the lighter, is shown as applied Fig. 1 and hasbeen removed from the casing in Fig. 2. Said cover 17 has fitted andsecured therein a thimble-like structure 18, whose` top is attached tothe top of said cover.

The wall of cover 17 and the wall of casing 1 are shown as provided withintermating elements, such as the inwardprotuberances 19 on cover 17andthe split threads 20 of the casing, whereby u.

a partial turn of the cover will serve to lock" it on the casing whenfitted thereover. When so fitted and locked, the thimble 18, which has aperipheral flange 21 at its lower end, vwill be clamped thereby upon andembedded in the upper surface of gasket 11, creating a leak-tight jointbetween the lower and upper portions of the casing by expanding thegasket peripherally against the sleeve 2, and securely localizing saidgasket in its set position.

Thus, with the cover applied in the manner described, the thimble thatencloses the catalyst positively prevents the admission to the thimbleinterior of any of the fuel vapor, and thereby protects the catalystduring the closed period of the lighter.

A vent hole 22 is formed through the thimble and cap for the escape ofany entrapped vapor when the cap is applied to the casing.

If desired a gasket 23 may be fitted in the top of cover 17 to co-actwith the upper peripheral edge of casing 1 when the cover is fittedthereon to render the casing leak-tight.

The prime advantage of this lighter resides in the inherentcharacteristic feature wherein the mere act of removing the cover, thusadmitting fuel vapor and air to the catalyst, causes it to function andto ignite the vapor, thus providing a flame that rises above the casingwall, and can be used, among other purposes, for lighting pipes, cigarsand cigarettes. It will function in the wind as well as in still air,and if blown out, will instantly flame again. In fact, while the casingcontains fuel, the only way to put out the flame is to close the casing.

In Fig. 3 it will be noted that the base cap, here indicated at 23, hasa barrel of greater length than the barrel of cap 15, it extending upover the greater portion of the length of casingy 1 below the partition3, and having threads 24 for engagement with mating threads on saidcasing.

Also said cap 23 has a vent 25 in its wall near the casing base. Hence,upon unscrewing cap 23 it can be pulled` outwardly, in telescopicfashion, vent 25 breaking the partial vacuum to permit this withdrawal,and then, by sliding the cap back again pressure will be exerted uponthe fuel in the casing to increase the flow thereof through theabsorbent sleeve, also forcing so'me entrapped air into the combustionzone, which will give a Bunsen burner effect to the flame.

In the example of my invention indicated in Fig. 5 some differentfeatures are employed as will now be explained.

In this example the same absorbent sleeve 2 is employed, but the casing,here shown at 26, instead of containing fuel-charged absorbent material,is a receptacle for a liquid fuel container 27, said container having aclosed top 28, from which a projection 29 extends for the same purposeas projection 5 in the other gures.

This container 27, whose lower end connects with the base 30 of casing26, holds the liquid fuel in bulk, the cap 31 covering the fillingorifice 32 when applied, and said cap having an extended barrel, withthreads 33 and vent 34, for the same purpose as in the correspondingdevice oi.' Fig. 3.

The container 27 is provided in its wall, near the base, with apertures35, for saturating the sleeve.2 with the liquid fuel. In thisexample'the top 28 of container 27 serves the same purpose as partition3 in the other figures, and in all other respects the features andadvantages of the elements disclosed in the different figures are alike.

Variations within the spirit and scope of my material extending from thelower to the upper invention are equally comprehended bythe foregoingdisclosure.'

I claim:-

l. A lighter comprising a casing, means for dividing said casing intoupper and lower parts, said lower part adapted to contain vaporizablefuel, a catalyst, means for flxedly supporting said catalyst in saidupper part, a sleeve of absorbent material, which extends from the lowerto the upper part of the casing, surrounding said catalyst in spacedrelation therewith, to impart vapor thereto, and a retaining cylinder ofsievelike material fitted against said absorbent sleeve in the upperpart of the casing.

2. A lighter comprising a casing, means for dividing said casing intoupper and lower parts, said lower part adapted to contain vaporizablefuel, a catalyst, means for iixedly supporting said catalyst in saidupper part, a sleeve of absorbent material, which extends from the lowerto the upper part of the casing, surrounding said catalyst in spacedrelation therewith, to impart vapor thereto, said casing having anapertured base, and a cap for said base having an extended barrel thatis provided with a vent to permit withdrawal thereof, said cap, whenretracted; serving to force fuel and air toward the combustion zone.

3. A lighter comprising a casing having upper and lower parts, a liquidfuel container in said lower part, a catalyst, means for flxedlysupporting said catalyst in said upper part, a sleeve of absorbentmaterial lying between said container and casing, said sleeve extendingfrom the lower to the upper part of the casing and surrounding saidcatalyst in spaced relation therewith, to impart vapor thereto, saidcontainer having an apertured base, a cap for said base, and means ofcommunication between said container and sleeve vfor the saturation ofsaid sleeve by the contents of said container.

4. A lighter comprising a casing, a partition mounted in said casing anddividing the same into upper and lower parts, said partition having anupward projection, a frame borne by said 120 projection, a catalystsupported by said frame, and a sleeve of absorbent material extendingfrom the lower to theupper part of the casing, surrounding said catalystin spaced relation therewith, to impart vapor thereto.

5. A lighter comprising a casing, means for dividing said casing intoupper and lower parts, said lower part adapted to contain vaporizablefuel, a catalyst, means for supporting said catalyst in said upper part,a sleeve of absorbent material, which extends from the lower to theupper part of the casing, surrounding said catalyst in spaced relationtherewith, to impart vapor thereto, a cover for said casing, and meanscarried by said cover to inclose said catalyst to exclude vaportherefrom when the cover is applied, said catalyst incloslng meanshaving vent means to permit the escape of entrapped vapor.

6. A lighter comprising a casing, a partition to divide said casing intoupper and lower parts, absorbent material in said lower part adapted tobe charged with vaporizable fuel, a catalyst, means for connecting saidcatalyst to said partition in said upper part, a sleeve of absorbentpart of the casing surrounding the catalyst in spaced relation therewithto impart vapor thereto, an expansible gasket upon said partition, acover for said casing, and thimble-like closure means carried by saidcover to inclose said catalyst to exclude vapor therefrom in applyingsaid gasket to expand it against said absorbent sleeve therebypreventing leakage past said partition.

7. A lighter comprising a casing, means for dividing said casing intoupper and lower parts, said lower part adapted to contain vaporizablefuel, a catalyst, means for supporting said catalyst in said upper part,a sleeve of absorbent material extending from the lower to the upperpart of the casing, surrounding said catalyst in spaced relationtherewith, to impart vapor thereto, said casing having an aperturedbase, and a cap for said base having an extended barrel that is slidableupon said casing, said cap when re cap for said base.

` tracted ironi'an outward position `force cover, said closure meansco-acting with saidseiuel and air toward the combustion zone.

8. A lighter comprising a casing having upper and lower parts, a liquidfuel container in said lower part directly below said upper part, acatalyst, means for supporting said catalyst in said upper part, asleeve of absorbent material surrounding said catalyst in spacedrelation therewith, means oi communication between said container andsleeve for the saturation of said sleeve, whereby vapor may be impartedto said catalyst, said container having an apertured base, and a DONALDA. RICHARDS.

